Last night, in Tucson, one year after she was nearly fatally shot in the head at a public event, Representative Gabrielle Giffords read the pledge of allegiance to an audience of thousands gathered at the University of Arizona for a candlelight vigil to mark the anniversary of her shooting.

A group had convened on the university’s mall to hold a “Remembering January 8” vigil when, in a surprise appearance, Giffords and her husband were welcomed to the stage and the crowd was treated to an emphatic recitation of our national promise to remain loyal to the Stars and Stripes and everything it stands for.